2 Answers
2

This is not a singular they, as your tags imply it might be, but a plural they. In modern American English, we usually treat collective nouns as singular. "The company puts out a press release most weeks, but it skipped this week."

In the usage you quote (and sometimes in modern Commonwealth English), the collective noun is being treated as a group of people. "The company put out a press release most weeks, but they skipped this week."

It's not actually so black and white. It's easy to pull up plenty of present-day examples of American English speakers using plural they for companies and organizations.
– tchrist♦Dec 23 '19 at 18:56

'In the usage you quote (and sometimes this occurs in modern Commonwealth English), the collective noun is being treated as a group of people.' though you could probably get away with 'In the usage you quote (and sometimes in modern Commonwealth English), the collective noun is treated as a group of people.' Though the punctive and the habitual are sneakily conflated in the latter.
– Edwin AshworthDec 23 '19 at 19:53

@tchrist 'The House of Commons shall choose its Speaker' sounds faintly cartoonish, with an animated Palace of Westminster stroking its chin. Obviously there has to be some degree of notionality / logical fiddle with any form of agreement here.
– Edwin AshworthDec 23 '19 at 20:01